A year later, Broncos look back at Manning courtship

INDIANAPOLIS -- Keith Bishop drove off from the Broncos' hotel in a rented, white SUV and headed in the general direction of Lucas Oil Stadium.

There, his passenger John Elway had an appointment with the media.

From the back seat, Broncos media relations director Patrick Smyth said he thought the stadium was to the right.

"No, we have to go left," Elway said.

For the second consecutive year, Elway pointed in the correct direction. It was at the NFL scouting combine a year ago that the Elway-led Broncos brain trust began serious internal talks about heading in the direction of Peyton Manning.

"But it was always a pie in the sky kind of thing until he was actually released," said Elway, the Broncos' chief of football operations. "When that happened, we called him that day."

The rest was an exciting new chapter in Broncos history. Even if the final pages of the 2013 season could have used some work. After signing a five-year, $96 million contract with the Broncos, Manning led his new team to 11 consecutive victories to finish the regular season. He passed for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns, and threw only 11 interceptions, in what was the second-best statistical season of his 16-year NFL career.

There was a stunning 38-35, double-overtime loss in the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens, although Manning threw three touchdown passes, including a pass midway through the fourth quarter that capped an 88-yard drive and put the Broncos ahead 35-28.

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That Manning wound up playing for any team other than Indianapolis Colts, much less the Broncos, occurred only after a sequence of unusual events. It all began when Manning missed his final season with the Colts in 2011 because of a neck injury that required four surgeries. Until then he had given the relatively fish bowl-sized metropolis of Indianapolis its first professional superstar, meaning no disrespect to Reggie Miller.

When Manning is elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot, the expectation is he will receive his ring from the Colts, regardless of how successful he is in Denver.

But it was during the scouting combine last year that it became evident the Colts were going to release him from his expensive contract, in large part because they had the No. 1 draft pick and a quarterback named Andrew Luck was there for the picking.

"We were curious," said Broncos coach John Fox. "You hear things. You try to predict things. What you do is monitor the situation. There were a lot of (collective bargaining agreement) guidelines we had to monitor. There was a rumor the Colts might go a different direction. So you sit up there and you do research and try to stay on it."

At his favorite restaurant in Indianapolis, Fox began discussing not only why Manning could make sense for the Broncos but also why the Broncos could make sense for Manning.

Last year, the scouting combine was in the final week of February. Manning was released a week later, on March 7. Before Elway and Fox led a Broncos contingent to Indy last year, they were emboldened by team president Joe Ellis, who gave his blessing on the pursuit of Manning.

Check that. Ellis didn't provide support. He came up with the idea. As it became obvious the Colts were going to move on to the Luck era, Ellis approached Elway.

"What would you think our chances would be of getting Peyton Manning?" Ellis asked the Hall of Fame quarterback turned NFL team executive.

Ellis is Denver owner Pat Bowlen's right-hand man. The Broncos had spent the previous two years cleaning up all the dead money from the Mike Shanahan era, and had nearly $55 million in salary cap space. When Joe said go, off went Elway and Fox to plan their recruitment of Manning.

The situation was delicate because incumbent QB Tim Tebow just had a magical run with the Broncos.

"Not intending any disrespect for Tim," Fox said. "Tim did a lot for the Denver Broncos. He had a fantastic season (in 2011). He got us a playoff victory. But there's not too many times a Hall of Fame quarterback becomes available."

It was Fox who placed the call directly to Manning on March 7. Not to Manning's agent, Tom Condon. To Manning himself. A couple of hours removed from his emotional, farewell news conference with the Colts, Manning was still stunned by his dismissal. Confused, hurt, maybe a little angry.

Denver's coach didn't use a hard sell. Instead, he was Uncle Foxy. Take your time, Peyton. When you're ready, we'd like to bring you out for a visit.

Two days later, Manning arrived in Denver. The Broncos were the first team he visited as a free agent. At least nine other teams expressed interest. But the Broncos had just reached the NFL's Elite Eight with the passing-challenged Tebow at quarterback. They had two young, talented wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. They had a young offensive line anchored by a Pro Bowl left tackle, Ryan Clady. They had elite pass rushers in Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil, who were reminiscent of the Colts' Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

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